Thimble for chimneys



2 sheet s sheet 1Q (No Model.)-

O.'F.jGREEN THIMBLE FOR GHIMNEYS.

Patented June 15,1886.

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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-#811901; 2.

'0. F. GREEN. THIMBLE FOR 0EIMNEYs.

No. 343,58L. Pa tanted June 15', 1886.

m Llnw m lm, Wahmglon n c UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES F. GREEN, OF VVORGESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

THIMBLE FOR CHIMNEYS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 343,581, dated June 15, 1886.

Application filed July 6, 1885. Serial No. 170,757. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES F. GREEN, of Worcester, in the county of Worcester and State of Massachusettshave invented certain new and useful Improvements in Thinibles for Chimneys; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and in which Figure 1 represents a front view of my improved thimble, showing the manner in which it is applied to a chimney, also showing the furrings and lathing in position around the same, ready for plastering, as hereinafter more fully described. Fig. 2 represents a vertical section on line A B, Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrow, same figure, also showing the plastering in thisinstanoe; and Fig. 8 represents a central vertical section through the parts shown in Fig. 1, the plastering also being shown as in Fig. 2.

The purpose of my invention is to provide a thimble for chimneys, whereby the danger from fire may be obviated and the annoyance and expense resulting from the lath and plaster bulging out over said thimble greatly lessened when compared with the usual sheet-iron thimbles now in use; also, to provide'a means for preventing moisture in the chimney or rain entering its top from entering the room, and thus disfiguring the interior wall next to the chimney, in which said thimble is placed.

It comprises, in combination with an ordinary chimney and the usual interior furring, lathing, and plastering, a thimble of stone or composition of a similar nature, having a horizontal opening made straight for a short distance in and from said straight part flaring inward; also having its upper front corner beveled or rounded, substantially as and for the purposes hereinafter described.

To enable those skilled in the art to which my invention appertains to make and use the same, I will proceed to describe it more in detail.

In the drawings, C represents so much of an ordinary brick chimney as is necessary to illustrate the application of my improved thimble thimbles, and subsequently placed therein where required by knocking out a portion of the brickwork, and fitting the thimbles in the openings thus made in the usual way.

The thimble is made with the usual open ing, a, to receive an ordinary sheet-iron funnel, and with its upper front corner beveled, as shown at b, for the purpose hereinafter described. Said opening a is made wit-h straight parallel sides 0 for a short distance from the face-line of the'thimble, and from that point to its inner end with inclined flaring sides d.

The purpose of making the inner end of the opening larger than its outer end is to prevent moisture collecting upon the interior of the chimney and rain entering at the top from running into the room and disfiguring the wall thereof under the thimble, which, as is well known, is of quite frequent occurrence where the usual sheet-iron thimbles are used, especially if they get tilted or inclined downward toward the outside of the opening,which is often the casein fitting the stove and funnel in place.

Another advantage of making the opening a flaring, as aforesaid, is that the angle of the funnel connected therewith may be varied considerably, and consequently not requiring the stove to be set with as much care and accuracy as though an ordinary straight thimble were used.

In practice I make myimproved thimble of what is known as artificial stone," but do not limit myself to its use, as other similar compounds may be employed, or the same made of natural stone, as preferred. By thus constructing the thimble it is obvious that one of the most serious objections to the use of the old thimblesviz., that of danger from fire around the funnel connections with chimneys-is entirely obviated. Said funnel being surrounded by several inches of stone, amost thorough and permanent protection from the above cause is effected.

In order to obviate any liability to break age from a top pressure, I make the thimble over the opening a several inches wider than at the bottom and sides of said opening, thereby also enabling the top bevel, b, to be made on the thimble, as hereinbei'ore described. The purpose of said bevel is to admit of the bottom lath, e, over the thimble bulging out in case of settlement, instead of several feet of lath and plastering over said thimblc, as is commonly the case where the bottom lath has a solid bearing at the bottom.

By the use of my thimble the usual crosstrimmers, commonly employed over the sheetiron thimble to hold the briek-work filled in around the latter, may be dispensed with, only the upright studs being used at each side of the thimble upon which to nail the lathing. Said lathing is butted against each side of the thimble, and extended over, above, and below said thimble, as shown in Fig. 1. Therefore, after the plasterf has been put on, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, should any settlement occur around the thimble, only one, or, at the most, the two bottom laths would be affected by such settlement, which, as will be obviously seen, would cause but slight damage to the plaster above said thimblc, necessitating but little trouble or expense in repairing the same.

Although I prefer, for obvious reasons, to make the bevel b on the thimble, as shown, the same result may be effected by the use of a curved line, if desired.

The face of the plastcrf is in practicemade to come upon a line with the face of the thimble, thus producing a neat appearance when the work is completed, in addition to the more important advantages hereinbefore described.

Said thimble is also in practice made of sufficient depth or length to admit of considerable variation in fnrring over the face of the chimney, as is indicated in Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings.

I am aware that it is not new to use stone thim-bles in wood partitions for protection against fire, and therefore make no claim, broadly, to a stone thimble.

What I do claim, and desire to Letters Patent, is-

lhe combination,with an ordinary chimney and the usual interior furring, lathing, and plastering, of a thimble made of stone or similar material having a horizontal opening to receive the funnel, made straight for a short distance in, and from said straight part flaring inward, also having its upper front corner cut off, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

secure by CHARLES F. GREEN. lVitncsses:

NVALTER B. NoUnsn, LUoiUs \V. Heroes. 

